SPEECH OF MR ISSA HAYATOUPRESIDENT OF THE CONFEDERATION AFRICAINE DE FOOTBALL (CAF)
Signing of CAF/AFC Memorandum of Understanding
Kigali, 15 January 2016
- Mr. President of the Asian Football Confederation
- Members of the Executive Committee of the Confederation of African Football
- Members of the Organising Committee of the African Nations Championship

I am happy to wish you, Sheikh Salman, as well as the delegation accompanying you, welcome to Africa, especially here in Rwanda. A country where you can feel the warmth all Africans share. I equally wish to welcome everyone present at this moment in this country, known for its many hills, for the 4th edition of the Orange African Nations Championship, Rwanda 2016.

The signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Confederation Africaine de Football (CAF) and the Asian Football Confederation is not an unusual event in the longstanding relations between the two confederations.

We have had various exchange partnerships bound us in the past, especially as concerns our officials for major competitions, and even very high-level matches between teams from our two confederations.

Today, it is all about resuming a mutually beneficial cooperation between two continents with lots of similarities, and having the same challenges as concerns the development of football.

It took many months of work, and a lot of discussion between our General Secretaries to get to the finalization of the document that we will soon be signing. We strongly hope that the first four years of the execution of this memo of understanding will consolidate our ties, intensify our cooperation, and build the capacities of the various stakeholders of football in Asia and in Africa.

After the Football Association (The FA), CONCACAF, UEFA, FIFA, the Qatar Football Association, this new memo with the AFC is an opportunity that is in line with our commitment to spare no effort, to not underestimate any partnership that seeks to contribute, in the development of football in Africa, a continent known for its talented players, but which has to improve in other areas so as to materialise its full potentials.